Method and apparatus for framing plastic material



June 8, 1965 w. sALlNG 3,187,801

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FRAMING PLASTIC MATERIAL Filed Feb. 6, 1952 "vili/i1),

23 INVENTOR.

- H/mer '5a/figg BY JM ,Wffw

A TTORNEYS United States Patent 3,187,801 METHOD AND APPARATUS FR FRAMING PLASTIC IVATERAL Wiimex Saling, Miami, Fla., assigner to American Screen Products Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Florida Filed Feb. 6, 1962, Ser. No. 171,499 3 Claims. (Cl. 16h- 392) This invention relates to mounting film plastic sheet material in a frame and is more particularly directed to new and improved methods and means for mounting film-like plastic sheet materials in window and panel frames and the like.

Heretofore, diiiiculty has been encountered in anchoring film-like plastic sheet material in a frame for use in such applications as windows, panels and the like because of inability to impart a uniform tautness to the plastic sheet material spanning the opening of the frame caused primarily by the inability to initially impart the requisite degree of tautness when assembling the material to the frame. As a result, employment of such material for applications in storm windows and panel construction has not been commercially accepted. An additional disadvantage attendant employment of such film plastic materials as a substitute for glass in windows exposed to the normal forces of the elements, such as wind, is flutter fatigue which develops at the framed corners of such sheet materials primarily because of the lack of degree of uniform tautness required in the material required to withstand such forces.

With the present invention, the problems and difficulties of the prior art are substantially overcome by the provision of a new and improved frame structure for such material which cooperates with a spline constructed in accordance with the present invention to lock the film-like plastic sheet material in the spline channel of the frame structure in such a manner that any normally encountered force applied to the film plastic material spanning the frame opening, such as the force usually applied by children pushing on the material, will tend to increase the holding or locking effect of the spline and the frame on the sheet material.

Moreover with the present invention, the disadvantages due to the slippery characteristics of iilm plastic sheet materials attributable to their low coefficient of friction are minimized as a design parameter in the Vconstruction of windows and panels employing such sheet materials.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide new and improved structure for anchoring film plastic sheet material having a low coefficient of friction in a frame.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved window or panel construction employing lilm plastic sheet material to span the opening of the frame.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved frame and spline arrangement for locking plastic lm sheet material to the frame,

A further object of the present invention is to provide a frame construction for mounting lm sheet material having a low coeiiicient of friction in such a manner that a substantially uniform tautness is provided the portion of the sheet material spanning the opening of the frame.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a window or panel structure having a resilient spline receiving channel cooperable with a new and improvedV spline to lock film sheet material having a low coeflicient of friction therebetween.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved spline receiving channel for receiving film sheet material.

ll Patented .lune 8, 1965 Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved spline for securing plastic sheet material in a window or panel frame structure.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide new and improved methods of anchoring film material having a low coefficient of friction in a window or panel frame structure.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent from a careful consideration of the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the following drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is an enlarged fragmentary view in perspective of a spline constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view in perspective of a jig assembly found useful in anchoring lm sheet material to a window or panel frame;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary View in partial section illustrating the mounting characteristics of the assembly of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary View in perspective illustrating the corner mounting feature of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary View in section illustrating the ease of assembly of the spline and frame; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view in perspective illustrating the spline and frame locking the film material in the spline channel of the frame.

Referring to FG. l, there is shown a spline, generally indicated by the numeral 11, which is of generally rectangular shape in cross section and includes a top wall 13, bottom wall 14 parallel to the top wall, a side wall 16 and a side Wall 18 extending substantially parallel to the side wall 16. The spline 11 may be solid or, as shown in FIG. 1, be bored as at 20. The spline is also provided with a longitudinally extending rib 22, one side 23 of which is coplanar with the bottom Wall 14, one side 24 of which is parallel to the side wall 18 and a third wall 25 of which is parallel to the top wall 13. The wall 25 is hat surfaced and extends co-terminus with the wall 1S. The wall 25 of the rib 22 is adapted to cooperate with a complementary rib formed on one wall of the spline channel of the frame section in a manner herinafter set forth to lock therebetween a sheet of film-like sheet material having a low coeihcient of friction such as plastic and to thereby provide the requisite degree of tautness to the sheet material to minimize corner fatigue and present a pleasing appearance to the portion of the sheet material spanning the opening of the frame.

The spline 11 may be constructed of rigid solid vinyl plastisol. It will be appreciated, of course, that any material having the requisite degree of rigidity may be employed as the material of construction of the spline 11.

As appears in FIG. 6, the spline receiving channel 27 is provided by a frame assembly generally indicated by the numeral 3d (FIG. 2). The frame assembly comprises a top frame element 32 and a bottom frame element (not shown) joined to opposite side frame elements 34 and 36 (FIG. 2) to form a rectangular opening 3S (FIG. 4). The corners of the frame sections are mitered, as at 38a, to provide a Close t between the frame elements. Each of the top frame element 32, side frame elements 34 and 36 and bottom frame element (not shown) are formed of a single sheet metal stock rolled to form a box-like body (FIG. 6) With the spline groove channel 27 and having a top wall 42 and a bottom wall 43 joined by spaced apart and substantially parallel side walls 45 and 46. 'Ihe wall 46 is a two-ply wall with a portion of the free end of the outer ply 46a rolled over the free edge of the inner ply 46h so that the straight flat edge 56 of the outer ply 46a folds downward against the interior face of the inner ply 46b. This straight flat edge or shoulder 50 forms together with the straight flat edge or surface 25 -of the spline 11 a locking point for the spline 11 when it is force pressed into the spline channel 27 to secure a film-like sheet material 52 therebetween to anchor the sheet material to the frame.

The film-like sheet of plastic material 52 is of thin cross section, for example -mil gauge, and may be either opaque, colored or transparent depending upon the applications for which the material is to be employed. A suitable material found useful in the practice of the present invention is Mylar polyester film sold under that trademark by the Du Pont Company. Itwill be appreciated, of course, that other plastic materials having the requisite degree of flexibility may be employed in the practice of the present invention.

In mounting the plastic lm material 52 to the frame structure, the jig 54 appearing in FIG. 2 may be employed. The jig 54 comprises a base 56 on which is mounted a rectangular wood frame 58 as by screws 60 (FIG. 3). The frame 58 comprises a side wall 61 and a spaced parallel side (not shown) and parallel side walls 63 and 64. Extending parallel to and spaced from the side walls 63 and 64 in the opening provided by the frame 5S are a pair of inner back-up blocks 66 and 67 secured to the base as by screws 70 (FIG. 3). A plastic iilm material supporting block 62 extending parallel to the walls 63 and 64 is secured to the base 56 between the inner back-up blocks 66 and 67 to support the ilm material 52 during mounting thereof to the window or panel frame assembly 36. The sides 63 and 64 kfunction as outer back-up blocks which cooperate with the inner backup blocks 66 and 67 to deiine a frame element receiving channel, as clearly appears in FIG. 2. The frame elcments of the window or panel4 are preferably connected Vat their corners to each other to form the rectangular opening 38 across which the plastic iilm-lile material S2 is to be spanned. Preferably the respective inner and outer hack-up blocks are spaced a distance from each other which is equal to the outside dimensions ofthe frame element 36 as appears in FIG. 3 so that when the film material 52 is set into the channel 27 by force, the force applied to the iilm and frame element 36 to set the material 52 in the channel 27 is insuiiicient to displace the frame element 30 from its predetermined position in the jig between the inner and outer back-up blocks. Preferably the blocks 66, 67 and 62 occupy approximately 75% of the opening 38 `detined by the frame assembly 30.

It will be obvious from a study of FIG. 3 that the top wall 42 lof the frame element 36 is in a plane above the plane of the top 46a of the side wall 46 of the frame element. To assure that the sheet of material 52 may be stretched sufliciently to provide the desired degree of tautness across the window frame opening whenthe edges of the iilm material 52 are set in the channel 27, it is preferable that the supporting block 62 and inner back-up blocks 66 and 67 are of a cross sectional height less than the corresponding cross sectional dimension of the frame element 36 and outer back-up blocks 63 Vand 64.

To prevent bulging of the iilm at the corners thereof which causes corner iiutter fatigue, it is preferable to precut the sheet material 52 at each of the corners at one end of the sheet 52 as appears in FIG. 4 at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to providean overlap of the material 52 from about 1/s to about ?/16 from the inner edges 71 of the joined walls 46 deiined by the inner junc-` ture between the frame element 61 and the side frame elements 34 and 36. In addition, it is preferable to pre-cut the film to provide approximately a W16" minimum overlap of the material 52 on the frame elements so that there will be available for seating in the spline channel 27 a sufficient amount of the material 52.

After the frame members have been assembled to detine the rectangular opening, the assembled frame elements are mounted in the jig. The plastic film material 52 is then cut to provide the above mentioned minimum frame overlap and corners overlap and the film material 52 positioned over the assembled frame elements on the jig. A hold-down pallet '72 is then placed on the ilrn material 52 as appears in FIG. 2 which should be of sufficient weight to prevent slippage of the film material during the assembly thereof to the frame elements. The spline 11 is cut to the desired length and the corners thereof are preferably cut at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the spline 11.

The edges of the plastic sheet material 52 are then rolled into the spline channel 27 with a squared wheel or round wheel as is conventional in seating screen material in spline channels. The edge of the iilmsheet material 52 is, therefore, shaped to conform to the contour of the channel side walls and present a U-shape in coniiguration. The terminal end 52a of the iilm sheet material 52 extends above the top wall 42 of the frame element 36. The spline is next placed in the channel with the rib 22 of the spline 11 adjacent the side wall 46 as appears in FIG. 5. The spline is then seated in the channel 27 as by placing a pounding block on the spline and striking the block with a hammer to seat the entire spline in the channel 27.'

As the spline is forced downward into the channel, the spline slightly distorts the shape of the frame element 36 to an extent suiiicient to permitthe wider bottom of the spline to enter the upper portion of spline channel 27 between inner ply 46b and wall 42a. As the spline is forced downwardly the film material 42 is trapped between rib 22 of the spline and inner ply 46b to tighten the film across opening 38. `In its bottomed position the flat surfaced shoulder of the spline rib 22 seats against shoulder 50 and locks the tilm sheet material 52 between the spline rib shoulder 25 and the shoulder 50 of the frame element wall 46 as illustrated in FIG. 6. In this manner, the film material 52 is locked between the upper` surface 25 of the spline rib 22 .and the liat surface shoulder 50 of the wall 46. The side wall 24 of the spline rib 22 cooperates with the inner ply 46b of the wall 46 to hold a portion of the ilm sheet material 52 therebetween. Similarly, the channel defining wall 42a of the frame element 36 cooperates with the side wall 16 of the spline 11 to hold a portion of the sheet material 52 therebetween. The edge portion 52a of the iilm sheet material 52 is then trimmed off at a location indicated by the numeral in FIG. 6. Four separate splines 11 are employed to lock the material 52 in the spline channel and thereby lock the material 52 tightly spanned across the opening 38 of the panel or frame 30.

The resulting window or panel arrangement is characterized by a film sheet material lirmly seated at its marginal edges in the spline channel by the splines 11 which exhibits the requisite degree of tautness in the portion thereof which spans the opening 3S defined by the frame elements. Such a window or channel arrangement, constructed in accordance with the present invention with the lm sheet material anchored in the spline channel so that the portion of the ilm sheet material spanning the opening defined by the frame elements is taut, will Withstand the forces normally associated with the elements, such as wind, without being subjected to an undue amount of corner iiutter` fatigue and also will withstand the usual directional forces applied during use by individuals, such as children, pressing against the portion of the sheet material spanning the opening deined by the frame elements. It will be observed that a directional force applied on the iilrn sheet materials deiined by the frame elements in either direction perpendicular to the top wall of the channel-set spline 11 will increase the locking effect between the rib shoulder 25 -of the spline 11 and the shoulder 50 provided by the channel element side wall 46.

Thus, with the present invention, I provide a new and improved frame structure for anchoring nlm-like sheet material having a low coeicient of friction by employment of a spline receiving channel having a shoulder cooperable with a complementary shoulder and a spline disposed in the spline channel to lock therebetween an edge portion of said sheet material to thereby provide the requisite degree of tautness necessary to withstand the elements and which is capable of increasing the locking eiect therebetween with an increase in the force applied to the sheet material in a plurality of directions.

Although various minor modications of the present invention will become readily apparent to those versed in the art, it should be understood that I Wish to embody Within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such embodiments as reasonable and properly come Within the scope of my contribution to the art.

I claim:

1. A structure for anchoring lm-like sheet materials having a low coeicient of friction in a frame comprising a frame element having -a rst resilient Wall spaced from a second wall, said walls providing an open space therebetween for receiving an edge portion of said sheet material, a rib on said resilient Wall extending into said open space and providing a locking shoulder, and a non-compressible, substantially rectangular spline in said open space having a first side Wall adjacent said second Wall of the frame element and a second side wall located, adjacent to and extending parallel to said resilient wall of the frame element, said second wall carrying a substantially rectangular rib providing a locking shoulder wall extending outwardly perpendicular to said second wall of said spline and adjacent said resilient wall, said spline rib having a second wall Vadjoining said locking shoulder wall and extending parallel to said second wall of said spline and resilient wall of the frame element and a third bottom wall adjoining said second wall of the spline rib and extending perpendicular tto said second wall of the spline,

said spline and spline rib combined being slightly thicker in cross section than said open space, and said edge portion of said sheet material being disposed in aid open space to extend first between said resilientA wall of the frame element and the second walls of said spline and spline rib, then substantially parallel to said bottom wall or said spline rib and thereafter between the second wall of said frame element and said first side wall of said spline, said wall rib shoulder and said spline rib shoulder engaging and locking said edge portion of said sheet material therebetween, and saidsecond wall of said spline rib and said first wall of said spline also engaging and holding said sheet material in said open space respectively against said resilient Wall and said second wall of fthe frame member to cooperate withk said wall and spline rib shoulders to maintain said edge portion of said sheet material in'said open space.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein both said shoulders are iiat surfaced.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein said spline is constructed of noncompressible rigid vinyl material.

References'Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,178,219 4/16 Cramer 16o-395 X 1,772,780 8/30 `Milone 160,-395 1,950,223 3/34 Biudd 29-509 2,325,500 7/43 Fosberg 160-395 X 2,778,100 1/ 57 Lipman 29 509 2,784,781 3/57 Rhoades 160-371 2,797,750 7/57 Van Dette 160--392 2,897,889 8/59 Kessler 160-392 3,009,516 1l/6l Albee 160-395 X HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

WHITMORE A. WILTZ, Examiner. 

1. A STRUCTURE FOR ANCHORING FILM-LIKE SHEET MATERIALS HAVING A LOW COEFFICIENT OF FRICTION IN A FRAME COMPRISING A FRAME ELEMENT HAVING A FIRST RESILIENT WALL SPACED FROM A SECOND WALL, SAID WALLS PROVIDING ANAPEN SPACE THEREBETWEEN FOR RECEIVING AN EDGE PORTION OF SAID SHEET MATERIAL, A RIB ON SAID RESILIENT WALL EXTENDING INTO SAID OPEN SPACE AND PROVIDING A LOCKING SHOULDER, AND A NON-COMPRESSIBLE, SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR SPLINE IN SAID OPEN SPACE HAVING A FIRST SIDE WALL ADJACENT SAID SECOND WALL OF THE FRAME ELEMENT AND A SECOND SIDE WALL LOCATED, ADJACENT TO AND EXTENDING PARALLEL TO SAID RESILIENT WALL OF THE FRAME ELEMENT, SAID SECOND WALL CARRYING A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR RIB PROVIDING A LOCKING SHOULDER WALL EXTENDING OUTWARDLY PERPENDICULAR TO SAID SECOND WALL OF SAID SPLINE AND ADJACENT SAID RESILIENT WALL, SAID SPLINE RIB HAVING A SECOND WALL ADJOINING SAID LOCKING SHOULDER WALL AND EXTENDING PARALLEL TO SAID SECOND WALL OF SAID SPLINE AND RESILIENT WALL OF THE FRAME ELEMENT AND A THIRD BOTTOM WALL ADJOINING SAID SECOND WALL OF THE SPLINE RIB AND EXTENDING PERPENDICULAR TO SAID SECOND WALL OF THE SPLINE, SAID SPLINE AND SPLINE RIB COMBINED BEING SLIGHTLY THICKER IN CROSS SECTION THAN SAID OPEN SPACE, AND SAID EDGE POR- 